A Kitten for Anders
by Wild E. ALF
Summary: Anders needs a kitten. Maria Hawke is determined to get him one. Misadventure ensues.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N It has been awhile since I've ventured into the realm of fanfiction or anything that deals with fantasy. But BioWare broke me this time around and spawned so many plot bunnies that I'm daring to step away from my SciFi universe and into BioWare's playground.  
><strong>**Besides we need Ander/f!Hawke shippers are in need of some serious fluff/happy times.  
><strong>**The chapters, if you can call them that, will vary in size. So please bare with me. I end them where I _feel _it's natural.  
><strong>**Anyway, hopefully I don't stray too far away and wander into OOC territory.**

**All reviews are welcome… aside from flamers.**

Chapter One

She was exhausted and soaked to the bone. Not to mention she had a fine layer of mud covering her from head to toe that made her feel just as miserable as the weather around her. The dark loose blouse and breeches she wore were plastered to her skin from the rain and mud. The two elements worked fantastically well with one another as they managed to keep a damp chill in her aching bones.

She wished she could shrug on her warm leather jacket but at the moment it was bundled in her arms being used as a makeshift barrier to keep an important package dry from this downpour she was stuck in.

_Dry enough one can be in this sodden weather! _She thought to herself rounding a corner near the Hanged Man.

She paused for a moment as she pushed her dirty blonde hair, which was even dirtier thanks to the mud that clung to each strand, out of her blue eyes and looked longingly towards the tavern. The loud drunken chatter spilled out into the dark street where the young woman stood. She could just imagine all of the wild stories and antics Varric and Isabella must be drumming up in that place and try and get her involved in them somehow. Perhaps a drinking contest which she would without a doubt fail with Isabella smiling smugly as she won hands down. She would even put up with the lame attempts of drunkards flirting with her just to feel the warmth of a fireplace on her skin again. However that was not the case as the lovely idea faded from her mind's eye when the buddle in her arms stirred and gave a soft mew.

She sighed to herself, ducked her head and hurried on towards her destination thinking about how exactly she got herself into this situation and hoping that this wasn't all for nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Another chapter! Because I feel like procrastinating on writing this term paper that is due on Tuesday... I blame BioWare.**

**Just a quick note I didn't use Merrill much or do her quests on my first playthrough so yeah... I hope I didn't go too OOC with her.**

**As always BioWare owns all and I sadly own nothing. **

Chapter Two

It was Merrill's fault that this crazy idea crossed her mind.

Well that wasn't entirely true. How was she supposed to know that the elven mage and Anders would talk about kittens of all things instead of their usual disagreements on Merrill's use of blood magic? She would have even settled on listening to them speaking about the magical uses of the herbs they were gathering for Solivitus. She couldn't even remember how the two of them came about on the topic in the first place. The only thing she knew was that once they had delivered the herbs to the herbalist in the Gallows and parted ways Maria Hawke somehow ended up on the steps of Merrill's home in the alienage giving her friend's door a few quick raps.  
>It didn't take long for Merrill to appear in the doorway with her face full of surprise and shock like always whenever Maria stopped by.<p>

"Hawke!" She squeaked out swinging the door open ushering her in, "I wasn't expecting to see you again! I mean I was since we travel together. But not today! Wait- are we supposed to have tea today? Oh I forgot again didn't I?"

Maria had to bit her lip in an attempt to control the laugh from creeping into her voice, "Merrill, calm down. I just came here for a quick chat."

The elf looked up at her and suddenly realised that she had once again rambled on until she stuck her foot in her mouth, "Oh I am so sorry! I didn't mean-"

Maria raised an eyebrow as she fought the smirk that now tugged on her lips, "You are doing it again."

Her small friend hung her head in embarrassment. Hawke closed her eyes and sighed inwardly, the poor girl will no doubt start rambling once again on her awkwardness in trying to blend in with other Kirkwallers. Maria placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a friendly squeeze, "Merrill it's quite all right. Your rambling is part of your charm that we all love."

A small smile spread on Merrill's lips as she softly murmured a few words of thanks. Maria couldn't help but smile as well as she stood. She had a soft spot for the poor girl despite the fact Merrill used blood magic. Besides she couldn't turn her back on her. Even though she was clueless on just how dangerous the type of magic she is dabbling in, Merrill was still a mage just like Bethany and Anders. A stab of guilt panged her heart at the thought of her sister. She had failed to save her from the Circle, the very threat that she had fought all those years ago, always on the move in an attempt to try and protect her from. She would be damned if she let the templars grab a hold of Merrill or Anders like they had managed to with Bethany!

She quickly shoved the painful memory of that fateful day of her return from the Deep Roads seeing Ser Cullen dragging her sister away from her mother. The question of "What If?" was always on her mind. What if she had brought Beth along on the expedition instead she of allowing her Mother to talk her out of bringing Beth along with Anders and Varric.

Maria took a small breath to steel her emotions as she brought up the question she had intended on asking at the door, "You and Anders were talking about kittens earlier today-"

She never got to finish as Merrill's head shot up with her eyes wide with a grin on her face speaking quickly and excitedly "Oh yes! I never thought that he would be the man who would like tabbies. Or fluffy things. Although his pauldrons are quite fluffy wouldn't you agree?"

Maria was caught off guard as her mind actually wandered over to thoughts of testing just how fluffy those feathers on Anders shoulders were. That would surely go over well she thought to herself as she imaged how Anders would react to her strolling up casually and saying, "Oh hello Anders! I know you told me you'd break my heart and everything. But you wouldn't mind if I perhaps rubbed my face in those feathers on your shoulders?"

She shook her head once again, a terrible habit she picked up of late, and tried to focus on her task with thoughts of feathers at bay, "Merrill. Fluffy and feathery things aside. Where would I find this litter of kittens in Low Town you were talking about?"

"Oh near the marketplace. I saw them there a few days ago near the weapon smith you frequent. They really are quite adorable! I mean-" Merrill stopped mid-ramble, a troubling thing which meant that she was paying attention, "Why do you ask? I thought you had a mabari? Is he sick? Oh no! If he is perhaps you should speak to Anders! Oh! You could bring him along! To see the kittens I mean… He seemed like he would have loved to see them!"

Maria silently cursed at herself for walking into this, "Brig is fine. I was just thinking that Mother would like the company of perhaps a smaller companion who doesn't drool as much." She gave Merrill a squeeze on the shoulder once again, "Thank you."

Quickly she hurried out the door before Merrill could draw her in with another ramble. It was like a trap talking to that woman when she went off rambling. _You couldn't help but feel sorry for her and want to give her a hug!_ Maria thought as she leaned up against the side of a wall and sighed. She looked up towards the bright blue sky. _Maybe, just maybe I'll be lucky and this will turn out for the best._

Merrill hadn't lied about where to find the litter of kittens in Low Town. However, the elf probably hadn't thought about the possibility that someone didn't want another set of mouths to feed or to look after. When she arrived at the spot and questioned the weapon smith about the litter of kittens he told her that she just missed them.

"What do you mean I just missed them?" she asked leaning across the table.

"A few of the merchants were complaining about the mess and noise the animals were making, Serah," the man turned his back for a moment to lay down the blade he had been polishing before continuing, "A bunch of young boys came by and picked 'em up. Had a big ol' sack with 'em too!"

Maria's heart plummeted. There was no question in her mind what that sack was going to be used for and what was going to happen to these poor creatures. The merchant had turned his back on her as she had fallen silent. Before she could take a calming breath and react reasonably she grabbed the man's collar, "Tell me where they went _now_."

The merchant raised his hands in defeat. His voice trembled, clearly terrified of the mad woman with a pair of daggers on her back, "The docks?"

Maria cocked her head to the side, "Really? They would dare to drown a few kittens in broad day-" she looked around noting that the sun was setting, "Twilight?" She noted that it didn't quite have the same ring to it as 'broad daylight' but what could you do?

The merchant didn't seem to care about her correctness on the current amount of light and spilled the information that she sought, "The river in the forest north of city."

Maria released her grip and slapped him on the shoulder, "Thank you ever so much." She ignored the small crowd of on lookers that had gathered and set off running hoping that she wasn't too late.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

It would seem that luck truly was not in her favour today at all.

Then again she hadn't risen this morning thinking, "Today is the day where my dear mage friends will speak of kittens whilst picking herbs and their madding talk of cute fuzzy animals will become trapped in my mind until I get the notion that getting one of the little buggers is a wonderful idea!"

Maria also wondered when this mad quest of hers turned from just a thought of looking at a few cute kittens with the silly notion of "Maybe Anders would like one?" to "Dear Maker! What have I gotten myself into?" A question that ran about in her head as she ran through the damned forest.

The sun was quickly disappearing and along with it the decent weather.  
>How exactly the downpour came about would forever remain a mystery to her. Maria thought that perhaps the Maker himself was upset with her for going on such a foolish task or maybe it was the fact that she was protecting and helping apostates, her friends and others. Nevertheless the rain was coming down hard and fast turning the worn dirt trails in the forest into thick slippery mud that made running difficult. Not to mention Maria managed to slip in the bloody mess more than once.<p>

Getting up to her feet from her most recent fall in the muck she started off running towards the riverbed. Her hair escaped from its low ponytail and whipped in her face. Taking the heel of her palm she tried to swipe it away. It worked but she could feel the sticky mud smear across her face in the process. It felt like she had been running forever before she saw a small group of figures in the distance at the bank's edge. Laughter mixed with the terrified mews of the squirming sack that lay at the feet of their captors. Anger surged in her veins at the awful laughter.  
><em>How dare they make this a game!<em> She picked up paced thinking how she could teach these children a lesson without going her usually way of "Stab now ask questions later." Maria had cooked up a grand speech to give them but when the figures of these 'boys' became bigger and taller and quite obviously full grown men she thought that perhaps a little physical violence wasn't such a bad idea.

Slowing her pace down she went into the brush, keeping one eye on the fools and the other on the sack. There were only three of them, all of them drinking from their flasks which were clearly filled with mead or something just as terrible. She laid low in the shadows and watched the men waiting for the perfect moment to strike and knock some sense into their heads.

"You know, this job isn't so bad," One piped up after taking a swig of his drink, "We should find more jobs like this one!"

The other two laughed and nodded their heads in agreement.  
>"Couldn't agree with you more!" One said with another bark of laughter as he crouched down to pick up the sack.<p>

Maria moved a hand over the small blade she kept at her hip. Her fingers brushing gently across the top of the hilt as her eyes remained focus on the man. The man got to his feet and started walking over to the river's edge ignoring the protesting mews in the sack, "Say goodbye you little ver-" The man let out a howl of pain as the blade sunk into the flesh of his hand making him release the squirming bag of kittens.

His two companions were over at his side before they had the sense to look around and see where the blade had come from. It was too late when the idea finally dawned on them as Maria quickly sneaked up behind them and bashed the hilts of her daggers in each of their heads. The two of them dropped like stones.

Maria looked down at the two oafs and sighed, "Why must the Maker punish me for having to deal with disgusting men like the likes of you?"

She probed one of them with her foot to see if he would stir. Nothing. Satisfied that both of them were out cold she turned her attention to the man who still had her small blade stuck in his hand. The man tried his best to scramble back out of her reach but Maria wouldn't have that.

Without hesitating she dug her heel into his hand, hard. "Hmmm, you know I just hate it when people stoop so low into drowning innocent animals just for a bit of coin. It is so petty and very beneath you don't you think?" The man let out a whimper that he tried to mask behind a poor snarl as she applied more pressure and twirled a dagger between her fingers, "Oh are you upset with me? I know it wasn't awfully kind of me to bash in the heads of your companions and then there is the bit where I did fling a rather nasty little dagger into your pretty little hand. Oh look there it is let me help you there!" She bent down and grabbed the dagger, giving it a twist as she withdrew it. "There we go! All better!"

The man's face contorted with pain and anger as he sneered at her, "You bitch! You'll pay for this!"

Maria raised her eyebrows in mock surprise, "Will I? Well that just won't do now will it?" She didn't wait for the bastard's reply as she whipped the hilt of her dagger across his face. She patted the man on the cheek, "Sweet dreams."

She was tempted to kick him in his ass for good measure but the frantic mews a few feet away brought her back down on track. Rushing over to the sack she sunk the small blade in, cutting the bonds at the top of the bag free. The sight inside the bag broke her heart.  
>Six wiggling mewing wet furry faces looked up at her. Reaching inside she placed a hand on one of their tiny bodies and felt the poor creature shiver. Quickly she shrugged off her jacket and wrapped it around the soaked sack.<br>Rising to her feet, she clutched the sack of helpless creatures to her chest and started to Kirkwall in a full sprint. Hoping that her legs would carry her to her destination before this became a hopeless task that was all for nothing.


End file.
